(CR) Kusuriya no Hitorigoto (The Apothecary Diaries)

[Guardian Enzo]

Now reliably confirmed for Fall 2023. Two cours is still just a rumor for now.

[Last Sinner]

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

Now reliably confirmed for Fall 2023. Two cours is still just a rumor for now.

Oh thank flock...I honestly thought The Happy Marriage and that cat caring for the woman were the only other titles I'd watch this year.

At least this one I know for sure to have exceptional source material.

I really needed to hear that news. This title will be one of the few manga that won't be finished before 2024 out of what I'm currently getting.

[Nachtwandler]

New PV. It is indeed Fall and they recasted Sakurai as Jinshi comparing to Drama CD. Now he is voiced by Takeo Otsuka (Aqua from Oshi no Ko for recent viewers):

YouTube

https://youtu.be/OI3MLOX9CpA

Sorry; dynamic content not loaded. Reload?

[Huh...?]

[Marina2]

That looks really good.

[Guardian Enzo]

Looks pretty decent, nothing spectacular but no red flags.

[Frontier]

Originally Posted by Nachtwandler

New PV. It is indeed Fall and they recasted Sakurai as Jinshi comparing to Drama CD. Now he is voiced by Takeo Otsuka (Aqua from Oshi no Ko for recent viewers):

YouTube

https://youtu.be/OI3MLOX9CpA

Sorry; dynamic content not loaded. Reload?

Visuals and cast are on-point .

Honestly even without the controversy I think I prefer Otsuka to Sakurai here.

[Huh...?]

I have a feeling that this Series might get some backlash at the start, because of the ongoing hatred towards the concept of Slavery in the Western Anime community (to the extent that Author's have to clarify themselves regarding it on social media).

I mean, this Series basically starts with FMC getting kidnapped and forced to work in a palace (as per summary), which isn't that different from Slavery, even-though its not mentioned as such directly.

[Nachtwandler]

Technically, slavery in the empire was abandoned during the rule of the previous emperor. Yes, some people still kidnap commoner girls to work as servants in the palace, but despite the fact that a chunk of their salary goes to kidnappers, it is not an actual slavery (and is still way better than life in some villages) and is a practice not appreciated by most of the characters. And people still trying to sell war pisoners into slavery were severly ounished a few years prior to the start of the story for example. Comparing to a whole bunch of recent series, this is nothing to omplain about. Some part of the public will complain literaly about anything.

You know, even complaints about Jinshi being a bit forceful in his romantic advancments is more justified than this.

[Huh...?]

Originally Posted by Nachtwandler

Technically, slavery in the empire was abandoned during the rule of the previous emperor. Yes, some people still kidnap commoner girls to work as servants in the palace, but despite the fact that a chunk of their salary goes to kidnappers, it is not an actual slavery (and is still way better than life in some villages) and is a practice not appreciated by most of the characters. And people still trying to sell war pisoners into slavery were severly ounished a few years prior to the start of the story for example. Comparing to a whole bunch of recent series, this is nothing to omplain about. Some part of the public will complain literaly about anything.

You know, even complaints about Jinshi being a bit forceful in his romantic advancments is more justified than this.

All that would depend only on whether the Anime explains it all or not.
And truthfully i wouldn't be surprised if they skip it, as Anime adaptation usually do a lot of skipping.

To most Anime watchers, it would feel like FMC was kidnapped and forced to work at the Palace and the kidnappers are even taking a cut from her salary.

As for recent series, while i agree some take liberty with the slavery concept. But that doesn't apply to series which are 10+ years old like Shield Hero or Mushoku Tensei.
They are only getting backlash from Western community primarily because they are mainstream shows.
I mean the people who are making aggressive complaints on social media regarding the slavery concept being used in Fictional story, are mostly the same type of people who complained that no woman would make fake rape accusations like Myne/Malty did in Shield Hero, and it was just a fake argument used to make women look bad while make MC aka., Naofumi look like a victim.

[Nachtwandler]

I don't think they will cut the actual part about situation ith slavery in Li and why the whole kidnapping practice exists. Plus there is a good scene regarding it in the potential first or second episode that they definetely won't cut.

As I said, some people will complain about anything.

I literarly saw one American guy complaining in comments on ANN that this LN is horrible and should be bashed on because,

Spoiler:

"male MC forced himself on female MC in one scene in volume 5" and it was not shown as something bad

. I won't discuss that moment as it will require delving in spoilers (even if anime won't cover volume 5 in the first season for sure). But I will just say it was a total overeaction.

Spoiler:

Also, people (from US at least) will definetely complain about previous emperor being a pedo and using his authority to fuck underage girls (despite the fact that he is shown as all around horrible person in the series)

.

[Tenzen12]

Technicality aside Mc was kidnapped and forced work with no way to quit. That's slavery and I am fine with that and if other people get angry over such thing... that's their own fault. Considering we live in trigger culture for more then decade, people getting offended over dumb stuff is just everyday business.

[Nachtwandler]

If you get paid for it (more than peasants earn) and can get away in 2 years, it is better than slavery (heck, serfdom was worse in majority of places). Also, palace maids are not forced to any sort of life-thretening labor in the story. Unless you really anger some nobles, you are fine.

[Tenzen12]

It's not "better then slavery", in same way Rolls Royce or Lamborghini aren't better then cars, they are just... better cars. What you meant is that being slave in imperial harem is better then being slave in coal mine and yeah, that's pretty obvious notion. Also all these benefits comes also with drawbacks like not having freedom, being torn away from family who don't even know what happened to you and having puting on hiatus any and every relationship you had or could have. Try imagine for example you left behind father who can barelly walk. Is it still that awesome prospect?

Again you don't have to defend it. It's perfectly fine and story wouldn't happen without it.

[Twi]

Originally Posted by Nachtwandler

If you get paid for it (more than peasants earn) and can get away in 2 years, it is better than slavery (heck, serfdom was worse in majority of places). Also, palace maids are not forced to any sort of life-thretening labor in the story. Unless you really anger some nobles, you are fine.

Except the situation is different. Working in the Palace isn't slavery, since it's not unusual for girls to be sold to the palace by their parents, as they get paid for it. The idea is that you work for the Crown for a bit and then come back. For parents who have children who are starving and can barely feed themselves, it's a win-win.

The problem is that the ones who sent her there weren't her parents. It was the kidnappers who faked being them and sold her. So not only is she not being paid properly, she literally can't send word to anyone outside of her situation to do something about it. Two years working somewhere you didn't want to go, because some people snatched you up, and with no one knowing where you are, is pretty messed up.

Maomao is just the type to shrug it off because she knows it could have been so much worse.

The series doesn't glorify it like most Isekai. It's simply a situation that happened due to people exploiting an existing system. Not even intentional on the palace's part.

[Last Sinner]

Originally Posted by Twi

Except the situation is different. Working in the Palace isn't slavery, since it's not unusual for girls to be sold to the palace by their parents, as they get paid for it. The idea is that you work for the Crown for a bit and then come back. For parents who have children who are starving and can barely feed themselves, it's a win-win.

The problem is that the ones who sent her there weren't her parents. It was the kidnappers who faked being them and sold her. So not only is she not being paid properly, she literally can't send word to anyone outside of her situation to do something about it. Two years working somewhere you didn't want to go, because some people snatched you up, and with no one knowing where you are, is pretty messed up.

Maomao is just the type to shrug it off because she knows it could have been so much worse.

The series doesn't glorify it like most Isekai. It's simply a situation that happened due to people exploiting an existing system. Not even intentional on the palace's part.

Exactly. Isn't the whole point of the title that Maomao made so much of a lousy situation, adapted countless times, balanced cynicism with curiousity and rationale, proved her worth through effort and made the system value her in the long run?

If this title is going to get besieged by people thinking it glorifies slavery...humanity is lost.

[Twi]

To be fair to those people, look at the sheer amount of garbage isekai that have been doing it. Not just one series in a while, but at least one series every season that fetishized it for cheap morality points and fan service. And only one if we're lucky. Isekai has been such a plague that it becomes so easy to tie them together even on non-isekai series because it's saturated the whole.

The only reason I don't think as much here is because I've read the series well before an anime got announced. Most people aren't going to be the same.

[Tenzen12]

Slave harems are trash there is too much of them and it's perfectly fine to hate them, but that have nothing to do with holier then thou sort of people who just dung on whatever they think will get them cloud and these are the problem.

That said, I don't think there is any reason attack or defend criticism that didn't even happen yet. With bit luck there will be no controversy and everyone will just enjoy good show and frog jokes.

[scififan]

Images

Sorry; dynamic content not loaded. Reload?

10/21 EPISODE 1-3

[Nachtwandler]

Also, apparently, the confirmed 2-cour. I also see character designes for Gaoshun, Gyokuyo and Xiaolan on the site, but now VAs yet.